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The law on musculoskeletal disorders at work

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) include injuries and conditions that can affect the back, joints and limbs. There are several laws relating to MSDs at work. Employers and workers both have responsibilities.

Employers' duties

Employers must protect the health and safety of their workers and other people who might be affected by what they do, under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act[79].

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations[80] require employers to assess the risks to the health and safety of their workers. The assessment may identify risks covered by other regulations relevant to MSDs in the workplace and you should also comply with those regulations. The main ones are listed below. If you work within specific industries, other laws may apply too.

The Manual Handling Operations Regulations[81] require employers to carry out a risk assessment on all manual handling tasks that pose an injury risk. Employers must:

  • avoid hazardous manual handling, so far as is reasonably practicable[82]
  • assess the risk of injury from any hazardous manual handling operations that cannot be avoided
  • reduce the risk of injury from hazardous manual handling to as low as reasonably practicable

The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations[83] set out what employers should do if their workers are habitual users of display screen equipment, including:

The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations[88] require employers to protect workers against risk from exposure to vibration at work. Regular long-term exposure to whole-body vibration (WBV), for example from driving mobile machines over rough ground, is associated with back pain. Powered hand-held tools, for example, can cause hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS).

The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations[89] cover a wide range of basic health, safety and welfare issues, including lighting, floors, workstations and seating. They apply to most workplaces.

Workers' duties

Under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act workers must:

  • take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others affected by their work
  • co-operate with their employer so they can comply with their health and safety duties

In addition, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations require workers to make use of equipment their employer has provided for them, in accordance with their training and the instructions their employer has given them.

The Manual Handling Operations Regulations supplement these general duties in the case of manual handling. They require workers to follow systems of work established by their employer to reduce the risk of injury from handling loads.

Link URLs in this page

  1. MSDshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/msds.htm
  2. Back painhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/backpain/index.htm
  3. Upper limb disordershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/index.htm
  4. Lower limb disorders https://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/lld/index.htm
  5. Display screen equipment (DSE)https://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/dse/index.htm
  6. Manual handling at workhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/manual-handling/index.htm
  7. Overview - MSD toolkithttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/toolkit.htm
  8. Overview - MAC toolhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/index.htm
  9. Introduction to MAChttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/introduction.htm
  10. Developmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/development.htm
  11. Score sheethttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/scoresheet.htm
  12. Overview - Liftinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/liftintro.htm
  13. Lifting from pallet videohttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/liftvid1.htm
  14. Lifting creels of wire videohttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/liftvid2.htm
  15. Lifting control measureshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/guidance01a.htm
  16. Overview - Carryinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/carryintro.htm
  17. Carrying from conveyor videohttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/carryvid1.htm
  18. Carrying task in pastry factory videohttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/carryvid2.htm
  19. Carrying control measureshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/guidance02a.htm
  20. Overview - Team handlinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/teamintro.htm
  21. Team handling pallet videohttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/teamvid1.htm
  22. Team handling container videohttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/teamvid2.htm
  23. Team handling control measureshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/guidance03a.htm
  24. Psychosocial risk factorshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/psychosocial.htm
  25. Individual differenceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/individuals.htm
  26. MAC assessment tipshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/tips.htm
  27. MAC FAQhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/faq.htm
  28. Overview - V-MAChttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/index.htm
  29. Advantages and limitationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/1-advantages-limitations.htm
  30. What you need to knowhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/2-what-you-need-to-know-before.htm
  31. How to use the V-MAChttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/3-how-to-use.htm
  32. Which jobs and workers to assesshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/4-which-jobs-workers-to-assess.htm
  33. Entering datahttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/5-entering-data.htm
  34. What does the V-MAC tell you?https://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/6-what-does-vmac-tell-you.htm
  35. Values in the summary tablehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/7-summary-tables.htm
  36. Recording and usinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/8-recording-and-using.htm
  37. Worked exampleshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/9-worked-examples.htm
  38. V-MAC FAQshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/10-faqs.htm
  39. Overview - ART toolhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/index.htm
  40. What is the ART toolhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/whatis.htm
  41. Overview - Learning to use the ART toolhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/learning.htm
  42. Preparationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/preparation.htm
  43. Risk factorshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/riskfactors.htm
  44. Observationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/observation.htm
  45. Overview - Making an assessmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/assessment.htm
  46. Task descriptionshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/task.htm
  47. Overview - Assessment guidehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/assessguide.htm
  48. A. Frequency and repetition of movementshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/freqrep.htm
  49. B. Forcehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/forceassessment.htm
  50. C. Awkward postureshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/awkpostures.htm
  51. D. Additional factorshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/addfactors.htm
  52. Score sheethttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/score.htm
  53. A walkthroughhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/walkthrough.htm
  54. Overview - Try it outhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/try.htm
  55. Book bindinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/bookbinding.htm
  56. Jogging sheetshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/jogging.htm
  57. Collating papershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/papers.htm
  58. Whisky carton assemblyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/cartonassembly.htm
  59. Croissant curlinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/croissant.htm
  60. Overview - Analysis and actionshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/analysis.htm
  61. What the scores meanhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/scoresmean.htm
  62. Analysing task rotationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/rotation.htm
  63. Overview - Taking actionhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/action.htm
  64. Repetitionhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/repetition.htm
  65. Forcehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/force.htm
  66. Posturehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/posture.htm
  67. Durationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/duration.htm
  68. Physical environmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/environment.htm
  69. Psychosocial issueshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/psychosocial.htm
  70. Art Tool Resourceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/resources.htm
  71. Frequently asked questionshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/faq.htm
  72. Overview - RAPP toolhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/pushpull/index.htm
  73. Push/pull riskshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/pushpull/risks.htm
  74. Push/pull risk assessmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/pushpull/assessment.htm
  75. The lawhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/legislation.htm
  76. Health monitoringhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/health-monitoring.htm
  77. Workershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/workers-msds.htm
  78. Resourceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/resources.htm
  79. the Health and Safety at Work etc Acthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/legislation/hswa.htm
  80. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/simple-health-safety/risk/index.htm?utm_source=hse.gov.uk&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=risk&utm_content=home-page-popular
  81. The Manual Handling Operations Regulationshttp://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/manual-handling/index.htm
  82. so far as is reasonably practicablehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/simple-health-safety/risk/steps-needed-to-manage-risk.htm#_Control_the_risks
  83. Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulationshttp://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/dse/index.htm
  84. DSE workstation assessmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/dse/assessment.htm
  85. take breaks from DSE workhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/dse/work-routine.htm
  86. eye testhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/dse/eye-tests.htm
  87. provide training and informationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/dse/training-information.htm
  88. The Control of Vibration at Work Regulationshttp://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/index.htm
  89. Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulationshttp://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l24.htm
  90. Manual handling at work: A brief guidehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg143.htm
  91. Managing upper limb disorders in the workplacehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg171.htm
  92. Manual handling assessment charts (the MAC tool) https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg383.htm
  93. Risk assessment of pushing and pulling (RAPP) tool https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg478.htm
  94. Assessment of repetitive tasks of the upper limbs (the ART tool)https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg438.htm
  95. Display screen equipment (DSE)https://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/dse/index.htm
  96. Manual handling at workhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/manual-handling/index.htm

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2021-06-30